Cards
by GenderBenderLuver
Summary: In the eyes of Clifford, every player is a card... except one certain brown-eyed boy. - For Satzuki! - Series of Drabbles - Updated: Nov 15 - Latest Ch: The Way the Cards are dealt
1. The Way the Cards are Dealt

A request by the super awesome amazing **Satzuki, **thank you again for the art!!

Clifford/Sena, how come I have never thought of that before? S-Strangely I kind of like the thought of it...

Somehow I can only imagine Clifford thinking things as 'cards'...

This has a slight Hiruma/Sena in it to make it more interesting... I'm so evil...

The next chapter is going to be longer, I swear!!

**Chapter 1- The Way the Cards are dealt**

Clifford would always think that Hiruma had a very interesting card in his deck.

Kobayakawa Sena.

It was a card good enough to boast about; although even Clifford, himself, matched up to the speed. However there was more than just speed to that card... ah, how rude, calling a person a card, but weren't they all? Sena, that's the boy's name. Clifford already could run as fast as Sena, he also had the strength of an American while he had the amazing tactics... he was the ideal player.

But, that boy, Sena, he had the will power that was only summoned when the other cards- his friends- were cornered or their dreams were questioned. Oddly enough, somehow that seemed better than Clifford's skills.

That card wasn't the best in the deck, but far from the worse, but Clifford was interested in that card, and only in that specific card.

This came as a shock to the American team.

Sena, that Japanese weakling that Panther had beaten, Clifford was_ interested _in him?

He spoke, in his fluent Japanese to Sena, and only the few of the Americans understood: "A card like you would be useful in my deck."

Sena blinked and responded: "That might be true, but right now I am a small card in Hiruma's hand, until I become my own 'card', I can't belong in anyone else's deck." Hiruma seemed oddly proud of this as he heard Sena speak.

"Che, brat, don't you dare get cocky." Clifford glared at Hiruma, a look of perhaps anger on his face, before letting it go.

Besides, Hiruma would have to shed this card soon, and in that time, Clifford was going to take the opportunity.


	2. Gaining the Card

... I kind of made it so that Sena is invited to play in Notre Dame his whole third year of high school, because that makes things much more interesting. This is going to become a series of millions of chapters! - Not, but close enough!

This is a small chapter about what Sena was thinking on the airplane...

**Chapter 2- Gaining the Card**

When Sena received a phone call from America right after he had led their team through the Christmas Bowl once again... he had no clue what to expect. When he hung up, his teammates grouped around him and questioned the phone call. Sena just blinked twice, staring at the phone, eyes wide and said: "Uh, I'm pretty sure that Clifford-kun just invited _me_ to play with them in N-Notre Dame."

Everyone froze for a split second.

They were indeed happy for Sena, Notre Dame was an amazing high school and it was where the real Eyeshield 21 originated from. But, even they had just won the Christmas Bowl again and they were planning to win it another year through the guidance of Sena.

Chuubou was the first to cheer: "A-Ah, congratulations Sena-senpai!"

They were all unpleased but they cheered for him anyway.

He asked a question that evening, a question that we will not find out what he asked until later. But that question was the one that made him regret leaving the most.

Out of them all, Hiruma seemed to be the most shocked... while talking to Sena on the phone, when Sena revealed the news, there was a slight silence at the other end of the phone and he asked "Who invited you?" Of course when Sena revealed who, Hiruma hung up.

The airplane ride was lonely.

&&&

After a whole day of sitting in the airplane, Sena felt drowsy and his hair was a mess (a very adorable mess but a mess nonetheless.).

As soon as he stumbled out of the airport, carrying his heavy luggage, he was surprised to see someone take it off of his hands for him.

"You shouldn't carry something so heavy."

Clifford took his suitcase without so much of a thought while Sena had his hand stretched out while he blinked in surprise at what Clifford had done.

Then Sena spoke in English, it was more or less perfect, although his Japanese accent still clung on for dear life. "A-ah, thank you, Clifford, but it's like midnight right now in America so I didn't expect you to pick me up."

There was something similar to a smirk on Clifford's face and he sneered_: _"There's no way I'm letting my card get away from me now."

Oddly enough, Sena wasn't scared, after all, he had put up with the worst of Hiruma but he was a bit annoyed that he was only considered a 'card' inside Clifford's view, but at least he wasn't considered trash (such as how Clifford considered Agon, so at least that deemed him higher than Agon...).

Clifford walked outside and stuffed his baggage... right into a limo.

Sena could only stare at it and the drive actually opened the door for the two of them. Sena just sighed; it is frightening how Hiruma and Clifford were so similar, having amazing sources that gave them access to a life beyond them.

Inside the limo, Clifford made some form of small talk, questioning how he won the Christmas Bowl a second time and only made comments every now and then, but it was still a form of small talk and Sena felt oddly proud in himself to be able to speak to Clifford with such ease.

Clifford, on the other hand, was shocked that he enjoyed listening to Sena talk about trivial stuff that didn't relate to him. It was also strange how he was the one who asked Sena to first, but he was enjoying himself... strangely enough. Plus he also had the constant thought of how Sena's messy hair made him look needlessly adorable. Of course he just brushed that off, anybody would think that once they took a good look of him, plus his constant fidgeting and admiration of the limo was also cute. (Once again you would think so too if you saw him, or so Clifford says.)

It was then when Sena, fell asleep on Clifford's shoulder from being on an airplane and staying awake the whole time. Clifford just tensed at the extra weight on his shoulder and sighed.

"Hey limo driver, remember this, _you saw nothing." _Clifford stared at him. The limo driver just quickly nodded to look away while whistling innocently.

&&&

Clifford will be more in character in the next chapter...


	3. Card Snatchers

**I made a huge mistake, please read this.**

Inside Chapter 2, I said Sena guided his team through another year of Deimon Devilbats, and now is his third year, which is completely **wrong. **I forgot that Sena was already in his _second _year of high school, and if he guided his team through another year of Christmas Bowl, he would've graduated. So please forgive me, I completely forgot all about it...

Also a bit of Agon/Sena in this... because you know you want.

**Chapter 3- Card Snatchers**

As easy as it is to find and buy a card, someone can steal or yearn for it with equal effort.

Of course it did not surprise Clifford to find Sena surrounded by men from the football team as soon as he set foot on the school, despite it being merely three o'clock in the morning (the airport was far from Notre Dame) and they were all restless from the tiring practice Clifford had suggested.

Clifford debated whether or not he should show Sena the picture of him falling asleep on _somebody's _shoulder and that _somebody _had his face cut out to spare himself of the trouble. Although showing the picture to Sena would make him wrench away from the grasps of those men and try to snatch that photo away. Or he could save it for later- or keep it to himself forever, then sell it at a high price when Sena's popularity soared through the school.

Patrick bothered him the most.

While Sena was squirming and blushing while the men questioned his status as Eyeshield 21, Patrick placed a firm hand on Sena's shoulder, chuckling as he listened to Sena's explanations.

Clifford just leaned against the wall and glared coolly at him, although, it was the same stare that he, a year ago, gave to Hiruma, an all-knowing stare that made you freeze when you see it, and only one person noticed it.

Sena.

Sena smiled, brushing away the attention of the men gently and when almost all of them, except Patrick, had left, Sena made his way to Clifford.

"Un, is it true that you are part of royalty?" Sena questioned, cautiously as if he was walking through field of bombs that would only leave a small bruise among impact, but still carefully nonetheless.

"Che, what do you think?" Clifford asked in reply.

"I think t-that it's a bluff..." Sena pointed out, thinking back to the many lies Hiruma had made up.

Clifford had a small telltale smirk on his face, almost a proud one that was not even close to gentle or caring but it was some form of affection that was foreign to Sena. "Keh, it's going to be an interesting year."

That was all Clifford said before he took Sena by his wrist and dragged him away to the dorms so they could rest. Of course they would share the same dorm. When Sena caught on to why there were two names on the door, he just smiled and opened the door.

"Umm, there is only one bed," Sena pointed out as Clifford laid the luggage on the ground.

"Che, those brats," Clifford scowled and said: "Fine, I'll sleep on the sofa and you sleep on the bed." Even though he was cold, he had some hostility.

Sena jumped on the bed and pointed out: "It's large enough for the two of us;" Innocence poured out from each of his words, as if he was unaware that it was wrong. But despite that, Clifford did not disagree; he just climbed onto the bed as Sena curled into ball beneath the blankets and dozed off quickly.

Clifford stayed awake, he rarely slept unless he was tired, and those moments were rare. But instead of taking out his laptop, he decided to watch Sena sleep.

Plus he took a picture of it for blackmail purposes.

Then halfway through the night of Clifford staring as Sena like a creepy stalker, Sena's phone vibrated, causing Clifford to slip out of bed and pick up Sena's cell phone smoothly and picked up: "Hello?"

"Che, fucking bastard, what the fuck are you doing answering Brownie's phone?"

It was a familiar voice to Clifford, after he crushed the man on field, Kongo Agon.

"Brat, I have every right to answer his phone." Clifford answered smugly, much to the dislike of the dread-haired boy across the line. It was in this moment that Sena woke up to Clifford's rather loud voice and muttered: "Un, Clifford-kun, what's going on?" Then he realized it was his phone in Clifford's hands. Clifford grinned: "It's for you."

He blinked, and then suddenly jumped out of bed to grab his phone, blushing as he placed the phone up to his ear: "H-Hello?"

"Che, fucking Brownie, why the fuck is he in your room?" Agon questioned, relieved that he was no longer talking to Clifford but now had now a new topic to direct all his anger. Sena simply replied: "H-He's my roommate..."

Agon exploded at the end of the other line, and Sena was glad that he was not talking to Hiruma.

"That fucker, Brownie, get the fuck out of that room, I swear I will get a fucking ticket to go the fucking USA by tomorrow-" It was there Sena interrupted: "No, no it's fine, it's not like we did anything."

Clifford smirked: "Ne, Sena-_chan _thanks for leaving the bed all nice and warm."

Sena twitched when Clifford had a huge smirk on his face.

It was going to be a long year.


End file.
